Tubular mouthpiece and method and apparatus for making and attaching the same

ABSTRACT

A tubular mouthpiece of double unit length without any filter material therein is produced by providing each end of a tubular body consisting of stiff paper or lightweight cardboard with at least one circumferentially extending incision to form stripshaped portions which are thereupon depressed into the interior of the mouthpiece to constitute means for intercepting tobacco particles on their way into the mouth of a smoker. The mouthpiece is placed between a pair of wrapped tobacco rod sections and is connected thereto by means of an adhesive-coated uniting band to form therewith a mouthpiece cigarette of double unit length which is thereupon severed to yield two mouthpiece cigarettes of unit length of the type known as papyrossi. The incising and deforming operations can be carried out upon a series of discrete mouthpieces while they move sideways or upon a single file of integrally connected mouthpieces which travel lengthwise and form a continuous tube which is thereupon severed to yield discrete mouthpieces of double unit length.

United States Patent [191 Reinbeck et a1.

[ TUBULAR MOUTHPIECE AND METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING AND ATTACHING THE SAME [75] Inventors: Guenter Wahle Reinbeck; Rolf Dahlgruen, both of Tornesch,

Germany [73] Assignee: Hauni-Werke Koerber & Co. KG,

Hamburg, Germany [22] Filed: Aug. 11, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 279,998

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data [11] 3,817,158 1 June 18, 1974 Primary Examiner-Roy Lake Assistant Examiner-James F. Coan Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Michael S. Striker 5 7 ABSTRACT A tubular mouthpiece of double unit length without any filter material therein is produced by providing each end of a tubular body consisting of stiff paper or lightweight cardboard with at least one circumferentially extending incision to form strip-shaped portions which are thereupon depressed into the interior of the mouthpiece to constitute means for intercepting tobacco particles on their way into the mouth of a smoker. The mouthpiece is placed between a pair of wrapped tobacco rod sections and is connected thereto by means of an adhesive-coated uniting band to form therewith a mouthpiece cigarette of double unit length which is thereupon severed to yield two mouthpiece cigarettes of unit length of the type known as papyrossi. The incising and deforming operations can be carried out upon a series of discrete mouthpieces while they move sideways or upon a single file of integrally connected mouthpieces which travel lengthwise and form a continuous tube which is thereupon severed to yield discrete mouthpieces of double unit length.

29 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures PATENTEBJul 1 a an sum s-nr 5 TUBULAR MOUTHPIECE AND METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING AND ATTACHING THE SAME BACKGROUND or THE lNVENTlON The present invention relates to improvements in the production of tubular mouthpieces of the type wherein an elongated hollow tubular body does not contain any fibrous filter plugs, wads, disks and/or changes of other (such as grannular) filter material. Tubular mouthpieces normally consist of a flexible elastic material, especially relatively stiff paper or relatively thin cardboard, and are used for attachment to wrapped tobacco rod sections to form therewith mouthpiece cigarettes of the type known as papyrossi. The invention further relates to improvements in an apparatus for making such mouthpieces, to a method of attaching the improved mouthpieces to wrapped tobacco rod sections, and to apparatus for uniting the improved mouthpieces with wrapped tobacco rod sections.

Cigarettes which are provided with tubular mouthpieces without any filter material therein are preferred by smokers in certain countries, particularly Eastern European countries, and by the immigrants and descendants of immigrants from such countries. It is customary to deform the tubular mouthpiece prior to or during smoking, for example, by depressing an interme diate portion of the mouthpiece so as to impart thereto a cross-shaped configuration whereby the deformed portion acts as a flow restrictor for tobacco smoke and intercepts certain deleterious ingredients. Certain smokers leave the tubular mouthpieces undeformed which, however, can. become dangerous if the smoker forgets to extinguish the cigarette before the tobacco containing portion of the cigarette is consumed in its entirety. The smoker is then likely to inhale the glowing innermost part of the tobacco filler with attendent danger to his or her health.

, It was already proposed to provide such mouthpieces with: integral intercepting means to prevent tobacco particles fromreaching the mouth of the smoker. Thus, it is known to deform that end of the mouthpiece which is to be attachedto a rod-shapedwrapped tobacco section in order to insure that the thus deformed portion of the mouthpiece will prevent tobacco from reaching themouth of the smoker. For example, one end portion of the tubular mouthpiece can be providedwith axially extending notches andthe flaps between such motches are folded radially inwardly to constitute a reasonably effective intercepting means for tobacco particles and- /or glowing remnants of tobacco fillers. It was found, however, that such intercepting means are not sufficiently reliable, especially if the mouthpieces are to be processed in certain types of cigarette making machines or the like because the inwardly bent flaps are likely to reassume their original shape and are then unable to intercept tobacco in a finished mouthpiece cigarette. Furthermore, such mode of providing tubular mouthpieces with integral tobacco intercepting means is rather expensive because one end of each mouthpiece mustbe provided with a large number of notches and the thus obtained flaps must be individually folded radially inwardly to insure the formation of satisfactory intercepting means.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved method of producing tubular mouthpieces for use in mouthpiece cigarettes or analogous smokers products which embody novel and improved intercepting means for tobacco particles.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved method of assembling the improved mouthpiece with wrapped tobacco rod sections to form therewith mouthpiece cigarettes, cigars or cigarillos.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved apparatus for the mass-production of tubular mouthpieces of the type wherein a hollow tubular body does not contain any fibrous, grannular or other filter material.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a machine for assembling the improved tubular mouthpieces with wrapped tobacco rod sections to form mouthpiece cigarettes, cigars or cigarillos of unit length or multiple unit length.

A further object of the invention. is to provide a relatively simple method and apparatus for the production of tubular mouthpieces which do not contain any fibrous or other filter material.

Another object of the invention is to provide tubular mouthpieces of the above outlined character with novel and improved tobacco intercepting means.

An additional object of the invention is to provide the improved tubular mouthpieces with intercepting means which invariably retain their shape and position during assembly of such mouthpieces with wrapped tobacco rod sections. r

One feature of the invention resides in the provision of a method of producing tubular mouthpieces which consist of elastic material, particularly one or more layers of stiff paper or lightweight cardboard. The method comprises the steps of forming an elongated tube, subdividing the tube into discrete mouthpieces of predetermined length (preferably two times unit length), incising each mouthpiece to form therein at least one slit providing the mouthpiece with at least one relatively narrow circumferentially extending preferably stripshaped portion, and defonning the strip-shaped portions of the mouthpieces by moving; them into the interior of the respective mouthpieces whereby the thus defomied strip-shaped portions constitute simple but effective intercepting means for tobacco particles. At least one of the incising and deforming steps may precede or follows the subdividing step, i.e., the incisions can be made in discrete mouthpieces or while the mouthpieces form part of a continuous mouthpiece tube. If the incisions are formed in discrete mouth pieces, the mouthpieces are preferably transported sideways; if the incisions are to be made in mouthpieces which are integrally connected to each other end-to-end, the mouthpieces are preferably moved lengthwise.

The forming step comprises producing a continuous tube and the method preferably further comprises the step of uniting each finished mouthpiece with at least one wrapped tobacco rod section, e. g., with at least one plain cigarette of unit length. The incising step preferably comprises providing the mouthpieces with slits which are located in planes making a right angle with the axes of the respective mouthpieces, and the deforming step preferably comprises depressing the stripshaped portions substantially radially inwardly into the respective mouthpieces.

When the inproved mouthpieces are connected with wrapped tobacco rod sections to form therewith rodshaped smokers products of unit length or double unit length, the depressed strip-shaped portions are preferably closely or immediately adjacent to the inner ends of 5 tobacco fillers in the respective wrapped tobacco rod sections. Each of the aforementioned slits extends circumferentially of the respective mouthpiece or mouthpiece tube, and its length (as considered in the circumferential direction of the mouthpiece) is preferably substantially less than 360, for example, about 180. The deforming step preferably comprises moving the strip-shaped portions radially inwardly beyond the line connecting the ends of the adjacent slits so that the outer sides of the depressed strip-shaped portions are preferably of concave shape. This insures that the depressed portions a're not likely to reassume their original positions during further processing of the mouthpieces.

The incising step may comprise forming each mouthpiece with at least two rather closely adjacent circumferentially extending incisions so that each strip-shaped portion is flanked by two slits. If the incisions are formed in prefabricated mouthpieces (i.e., if the mouthpieces are severed from a tube prior to formation of slits therein, the prefabricated mouthpieces are preferably stored in a magazine or hopper and are moved seriatim and sideways past the incising and deforming stations. The incising and deforming stations may be followed by a station where the mouthpieces are placed into axial alignment with wrapped tobacco rod sections to form therewith groups of coaxial articles, and the mouthpieces are thereupon permanently connected to the respective wrapped tobacco rod sections by means of one or more adhesive-coated uniting bands. As mentioned before, the prefabricated mouthpieces are preferably of double unit length so that each thereof can be placed between two wrapped tobacco rod sections. The incising step then comprises forming each mouthpiece with'at least one slit at each end of the mouthpiece so that the latter is provided with two strip-shaped portions each of which is adjacent to one of the mouthpiece ends. Once the thus treated mouthpieces of double unit length are assembled with pairs of coaxial wrapped tobacco rod sections to form therewith mouthpiece cigarettes or papyrossi, cigars or cigarillos of double unit length, the articles of double unit length can be tested, severed midway between their ends to yield pairs of mouthpiece cigarettes, cigars or cigarillos of unit length, and otherwise processed prior to delivery into storage, into transfer trays or directly to a packing machine.

If the mouthpieces are still joined to each other prior to the formation of slits the rein, they form a continuous tube which issues from a tube making machine and moves lengthwise past an incising and thereupon past a deforming station. The incising step may comprise providing longitudinally spaced sections of the moving tube with one or two pairs of circumferentially extending slits, and the subdividing step may comprise severing the tube midway across successive deformed stripshaped portions or midway between neighboring pairs of depressed strip-shaped portions, depending upon whether the strip-shaped portions of discrete mouthpieces are to be located at or close to the respective ends of the mouthpiece. The step of making the tube preferably comprises converting one or more continuous webs of stiff paper or lightweight cardboard into a continuous tube which may be wrapped into an adhesive-coated strip so that the finished tube comprises at least two layers including at least one inner layer of paper or cardboard and an outer layer of lightweight material which forms an envelope around the inner layer.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic of the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The improved apparatus itself, however, both as to its construction and its mode of operation, together with additional features and advantages thereof, will be best understood upon perusal of the following detailed description of certain specific embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is an elevational view of a machine for the production of smokers products each of which embodies one of the improved tubular mouthpieces;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged side elevational view of a detail in the machine of FIG. 1, substantially as seen in the direction of the arrow II shown in FIG. 1;

.FIG. 3 is a perspective view of one of the tubular mouthpieces which is being processed in the machine of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 illustrates a structure which is similar to that shown in FIG. 2 but is designed to produce slightly modified tubular mouthpieces;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a mouthpiece which is produced in apparatus embodying the structure of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a schematic elevational view of a continuous mouthpiece tube making machine which is designed to produce mouthpieces of the type shown in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged view of a detail of a machine which constitutes a modification of the machine shown in FIG. 6 and is designed to produce tubular mouthpieces of the type shown in FIG. 3; and

FIG. 8 is a side elevational view of a smokers product embodying one-half of a tubular mouthpiece of the type shown in FIG. 3.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1 illustrates a machine which is similar to the filter cigarette making machine known as MAX and produced by Hauni-Werke, of I-lamburg-Bergedorf, Western Germany. The difference between the two machines is that the machine of FIG. 1 connects pairs of wrapped tobacco rod sections with tubular mouth pieces 2 of double unit length which do not contain any filter plugs, filter disks, wads, granules or other filter material. The mouthpieces 2 which are attached to wrapped tobacco rod sections in the machine of FIG. 1 are of the type shown in FIG. 3.

Referring now to the machine of FIG. 1 in detail, this machine comprises a feeding unit 1 for tubular mouthpieces 2 of double unit length which replaces the feeding unit for filter mouthpieces used in the aforementioned filter cigarette making machine of Hauni- Werke. The machine of FIG. 1 further comprises a second feeding unit which serves to deliver wrapped to bacco rod sections of unit length. Each such tobacco rod section is assumed to be a plain cigarette. The second feeding unit comprises a transfer conveyor 3 which is a rotary drum having axially parallel peripheral flutes each of which receives a plain cigarette of unit length from a cigarette rod making machine, not shown (e.g., a cigarette rod making machine known as GARANT and produced by l-Iauni-Werke). The nature of cigarette delivery to the transfer conveyor 3 is such that each of its flutes receives a single plain cigarette and that the cigarettes in alternate flutes are staggered axially with respect to each other so that the cigarettes form two rows which travel sideways. The second feeding unit further comprises two rotary drum-shaped aligning conveyors 4- each of which receives from the transfer conveyor 3 one row of cigarettes. The purpose of the aligning conveyors is to place each cigarette of one row into axial alignment with a cigarette of the other row not later than when such cigarettes reach a transfer station TS where the pairs of axially aligned plain cigarettes of unit length are transferred into successive flutes of a rotary drum-shaped assembly conveyor 6. The pairs of plain cigarettes in successive flutes of the assembly conveyor 6 are arranged in such a way that the cigarettes of each pair are separated from each other by a gap or clearance having a width which exceeds the length of a tubular mouthpiece 2 of double unit length. The mode of operation of aligning conveyors 4 in the second feeding unit of the machine shown in FIG. 1 is described, for example, in German patent No. 1,285,931.

The feeding unit 1 comprises a magazine or hopper 7 which contains a substantial supply of parallel tubular mouthpieces 2 of double unit length. The magazine 7 has an inclined chute or duct which delivers successive mouthpieces 2 to successive flutes of a rotary drum-shaped transfer conveyor 8 which in turn delivers successive mouthpieces 2 to successive flutes of a rotary drum-shaped cutting conveyor 9. The cutting conveyor 9 cooperates with two rotary cutting devices 11 and 12 of the type shown in detail in FIG. 2. Each of the cutting devices I], 12 comprises a pair of orbiting blades 41, 42 which provide successive mouthpieces 2 with pairs of incisions or slits 40, 45 shown in FIG. 3. The second cutting device 12 of FIG. I is followed by two coaxial rotary star-shaped deforming or depressing devices 13 which depress the material of each mouthpiece 2 between the respective pairs of incisions or slits 40, 45 so as to form strip-shaped intercepting or retaining portions 48 shown in FIG. 3. The thus treated mouthpieces 2 are transferred onto a rotary drumshaped inserting conveyor I6 which delivers them into successive flutes of the assembly conveyor 6 so that each mouthpiece 2 is located between a pair of coaxial plain cigarettes of unit length. Thus, when a flute of the assembly conveyor 6 moves beyond the transfer station between the conveyors 6 and 16, it contains a group consisting of three coaxial elongated articles including a centrally located tubular mouthpiece 2 of double unit length and two plain cigarettes of unit length. The feeding unit I further comprises stabilizing shrouds 14 which surround a portion of the periphery of the cutting conveyor 9 between the conveyors 8 and 16 and serve to hold the mouthpieces 2 against rotation in their flutes during transport along the cutting devices 11, 12 and the depressing devices 13.

The groups which are transported by successive flutes of the assembly conveyor 6 downstream of the transfer station between the conveyors 6 and 16 are introduced into successive flutes of a further rotary drum-shaped transfer conveyor 17. The conveyor I7 delivers such groups, each of which is provided with an adhesive-coated uniting band, to a rotary drum-shaped wrapping conveyor 27 which cooperates with a rolling belt 28 so as to convert each group into a mouthpiece cigarette of double unit length.

The machine of FIG. further comprises a third feeding unit which includes a source 22 of convoluted tape I8. The source 22 is a bobbin which is rotated in a clockwise direction, as viewed in FIG. I, so as to pay out the tape I8 at the rate determined by the peripheral speed of two advancing rolls I9, 21. The roll 19 is driven by a motor or transmission, not shown, and the roll 21 is biased against the roll I9 so that the rolls l9 and 21 cooperate to transport the tape I8 lengthwise when the motor or transmission for the roll 19 is started. Successive increments of the tape 18 are transported along the peripheral surface of a rotary applicator forming part of a conventional 'paster 23 which provides the underside of the tape IS with a coat of adhesive. The leading end of the thus coated tape 18 is attracted by the periphery of a suction conveyor 24 here shown as a drum which cooperates with a cutting drum 26 so as to subdivide the leading end of the tape 18 into a succession of adhesive-coated uniting bands. Successive uniting bands are partially attached to groups in successive flutes of the transfer conveyor 17 so that each such group carries a uniting band before it reaches the periphery of the wrapping conveyor 27.

The rolling belt 28 may have a corrugated or toothed surface and cooperates with the periphery of the conveyor 27 to roll successive groups about their respective axes so that the uniting bands are convoluted around the respective mouthpieces 2 and around the adjacent inner ends of the respective plain cigarettes of unit length. This completes the conversion of successive groups into mouthpiece cigarettes of double unit length. The distance between the inner stretch of the rolling belt 28 and the periphery of the wrapping conveyor 27 is slightly less than the diameter of a mouthpiece 2 or the diameter of a plain cigarette. This insures that the groups which travel in the space between the periphery of the conveyor 27 and the concave inner stretch of the belt 28 are invariably caused to rotate about their respective axes. The exact construction, mounting and mode of operation of the wrapping conveyor 27 and rolling belt 28 is described in US. Pat. No. 3,527,234 to Hinzmann.

The wrapping conveyor 27 delivers successive mouthpiece cigarettes of double unit length to a testing conveyor 29 of the type described in German patent No. 1,205,434. The conveyor 29 transports successive cigarettes past one or more testing devices which determine the condition of the wrappers of cigarettes. Such wrappers include not only the cigarette paper tubes which surround the tobacco fillers of the respective plain cigarettes of unit length but also the wrappers which are formed by the convoluted uniting bands. The testing conveyor 29 and/or the associated testing device or devices can produce signals which result in segregation of defective cigarettes before such cigarettes reach the storage, a tray filling device or a packing machine, not shown.

The testing conveyor 29 is followed by a severing conveyor 31 which cooperates with a rotary diskshaped knife 31a to sever each mouthpiece cigarette of double unit length so that each such cigarette yields two mouthpiece cigarettes of unit length. The line of separation where the knife 31a severs a mouthpiece cigarette of double unit length is shown in FIG. 3, as at 49. It will be noted that the cigarettes are severed midway across their respective mouthpieces 2 so that each of the thus obtained mouthpiece cigarettes of unit length contains a plain cigarette of unit length and onehalf of a mouthpiece 2. The severing conveyor 31 delivers pairs of mouthpiece cigarettes of unit length to an inverting conveyor 32, for example, a conveyor of the type described in German patent No. 1,160,772. The conveyor 32 inverts one of each pair of cigarettes endfor-end so that the mouthpieces of all cigarettes which leave the inverting conveyor 32 face in the same direction. The conveyor 32 may comprise means for placing each inverted mouthpiece cigarette of unit length between the adjacent pair of non-inverted cigarettes so that the cigarettes which leave the conveyor 32 form a single row and travel sideways. The inverting conveyor 32 delivers successive mouthpiece cigarettes of unit length into successive flutes of a rotary drum-shaped transfer conveyor 33 which delivers the cigarettes into successive flutes of a second testing conveyor 34. The conveyor 34 transports cigarettes along one or more testing devices which determine the density of tobacco at the free ends of the respective plain cigarettes and produce signals for ejection or segregation of cigarettes with defective ends. A cigarette end testing conveyor which can be used in the machine of FIG. 1 is disclosed, for example, in German patent No. 1,187,169. The conveyor 34 delivers satisfactory mouthpiece cigarettes of unit length to a transfer conveyor 36 which delivers such cigarettes to the upper stretch of a take-off conveyor belt 37. The latter delivers satisfactory mouthpiece cigarettes of unit length of the aforementioned tray filling device, to a packing machine, or to storage.

The details of the cutting conveyor 9 and of the two rotary cutting devices 11 and 12 are illustrated in FIG. 2. The cutting device 11 comprises a driven shaft 11a which carries two axially spaced holders 38 for blades 41. The cutting device 12 is of similar construction; it comprises a driven shaft 12a which carries two axially spaced holder's 39 for blades 42. The blades 41 and 42 preferably consist of a hard metal. The periphery of the cutting conveyor 9 is provided with axially parallel receiving means in the form of flutes 43 which serve as receptacles for tubular mouthpieces 2 delivered by the transfer conveyor 8 of FIG. 1. The cutting conveyor 9 is further provided with two grooved rings 44 and 46 which can receive portions of the blades 41 and 42 while the blades respectively orbit about the shafts 11a and 12a. The two star-shaped deforming or depressing devices 13 are mounted on a driven shaft 13a. The prongs of the devices 13 are provided with enlarged protuberances or heads 47 which can depress the aforementioned strip-shaped intercepting portions 48 of successive mouthpieces 2. The axes of the shafts 11a, 12a and 13a are parallel to the axis of the cutting conveyor 9. As shown in the lower portion of FIG. 2, the protuberances or heads 47 of the two depressing devices 13 respectively register with the spaces between the planes of the left-hand blades 41, 42 and the right-hand blades 41 and 42. The minimum distance between the axis of the conveyor 9 and the protuberances or heads 47 is such that the strip-shaped portions 48 of successive mouthpieces 2 are depressed into the respective mouthpieces to a predetemiined extent as best shown in the lower part of FIG. 3. It will be noted that the central part of the strip-shaped portion 48 shown in the lower part of FIG. 3 extends inwardly beyond the line connecting the ends of the respective incisions or slits 40 and 45. Otherwise stated, the minimum distance between the tips of the blades 41 or 42 and the axis of the conveyor 9 is greater than the minimum distance between a protuberance or head 47 and the axis of the conveyor 9. Each of the slits 40, 45 is shown as extending along an arc of about i.e., substantially less than 360.

Referring again to FIG. 3, it will be noted that the pairs of slits 40, 45 are rather closely adjacent to but still spaced apart from the respective axial ends of the mouthpiece 2. Consequently, when a strip-shaped portion 48 is depressed by one of the protuberances or heads 47 on the respective depressing device 13, the thus depressed portion 48 is slightly spaced apart from the respective axial end of the mouthpiece 2.

The operation of the machine shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is as follows:

The transfer conveyor 3 delivers plain cigarettes of unit length to the aligning conveyors 4, and the conveyors 4 deliver pairs of axially aligned plain cigarettes into successive flutes of the assembly conveyor 6 at the transfer station TS. Such cigarettes thereupon travel toward the transfer station between the conveyors 6 and 16. At the same time, the magazine 7 discharges tubular mouthpieces 2 of double unit length into successive flutes of the transfer conveyor 8 by way of the chute 10. The conveyor 8 delivers mouthpieces 2 into successive receiving means or flutes 43 of the cutting conveyor 9 whereby the mouthpieces travel at the inner sides of the stabilizing shrouds l4 and are held against rotation about their respective axes. The blades 41 of the cutting device 11 provide successive mouthpieces 2 with incisions or slits 40, and the blades 42 of the cutting device 12 provide successive mouthpieces 2 with incisions or slits 45 so that the slits 40, 45 respectively flank narrow circumferentially extending arcuate strip-shaped portions 48. Such portions are depressed by the protuberances or heads 47 of the respective depressing devices 13 so that each thereof is compelled to assume the shape shown in FIG. 3. The deformation of strip-shaped portions 48 under the action of protuberances or heads 47 is sufficient to insure that the portions 48 cannot rebound and thus cannot reassume their original positions of alignment with the periphery of the remainder of the respective mouthpiece 2. As a rule, each of the portions 48 is flexed by the respective head 47 from the one to the other extreme position thereof and through and beyond the respective neutral position so that the portions 48 cannot undergo accidental changes in shape and/or position during further treatment of mouthpieces 2 in the machine of FIG. 1 and constitute effective intercepting means for tobacco at the inner end of the plain cigarette forming part of the respective mouthpiece cigarette obtained on the cutting conveyor 31.

The aforementioned stabilizing shrouds 14 which are associated with the cutting conveyor 9 serve the additional purpose of firmly pressing the mouthpieces 2 into the respective flutes 43 so as to make sure that the blades 41 and 42 can form incisions or slits 40, 45 of predetermined reproducible length.

The thus treated mouthpieces 2 are thereupon accepted by the conveyor 16 which inserts them into the spaces between successive pairs of aligned plain cigarettes in the flutes of the assembly conveyor 6 so that each mouthpiece 2 forms with a pair of plain cigarettes a group which travels along cams 6a serving to move one or both plain cigarettes axially toward the adjacent mouthpiece so as to make sure that the inner ends of plain cigarettes are sufficiently close to or actually abut the respective end faces of the mouthpiece 2 therebetween. The groups are thereupon taken over by the conveyor 17 and move past the transfer station between the conveyors 17 and 24.

The advancing rolls 19, 21 continuously draw tape 18 from the bobbin 2 2 and advance such tape toward the periphery of the suction conveyor 24, whereby the underside of the tape is coated with adhesive during travel along the paster 23. The conveyor 24 cooperates with the blades of the cutting drum 26 so that the leading end of the tape 18 is subdivided into adhesive-coated uniting bands of predetermined length which are caused to adhere to successive groups in the flutes of transfer conveyor 17 before such groups reach the periphery of the wrapping conveyor 27. The conveyor 27 cooperates with the rolling belt 28 to convert each group into a mouthpiece cigarette of double unit length by causing the adhesive-coated uniting bands to be converted into tubes which surround the respective mouthpieces 2 and the adjacent inner end portions of the aligned plain cigarettes. The mouthpiece cigarettes of double unit length are tested for the condition of their wrappers during travel with the testing conveyor 29 and are thereupon transferred onto the severing conveyor 31 which cooperates with the rotary diskshaped knife 31a to subdivide each cigarette of double unit length into a pair of coaxial mouthpiece cigarettes of unit length. Such pairs of cigarettes are transferred onto the inverting conveyor 32 which inverts one cigarette of each pair end-for-end and places it between the adjacent cigarettes of the non-inverted row. The cigarettes of the thus obtained single row are thereupon caused to enter successive flutes of the transfer conveyor 33 which delivers them to the testing conveyor 34. The latter transports the cigarettes past one or more testing devices which test the ends of the tobacco rod sections of such cigarettes and initiate the ejection of cigarettes with defective ends. The satisfactory cigarettes are delivered to the transfer conveyor 36 which, in turn, delivers such cigarettes onto the upper stretch of the conveyor belt 37.

The drive means for synchronizing the movements of cutting conveyor 9, cutting devices 11, 12 and deforming devices 13 is preferably of the type used in the aforementioned filter cigarette making machine of Hauni-Werke and is not shown in the drawing. The same applies for the drive means which rotates all other conveyors, knives, drums, advancing rolls and additional moving parts of the machine shown in FIG. 1.

The width of the strip-shaped portions 48, as considered in the axial direction of the tubular mouthpiece 2 shown in FIG. 3, is relatively small, i.e., a small fraction of the length of the mouthpiece. As a rule, the width of the portions 48 is less than (and most preferably only a fraction of) the diameter of the mouthpiece 2. This is desirable in order to avoid undue weakening of mouthpieces in the region of incisions or slits 40'and 45. The particles of tobacco are intercepted by those edge faces (48a) of the strip-shaped portions 48 which face the adjacent ends of tobacco fillers in the respective wrapped tobacco rod sections. The area of each edge face 48a is independent of the width of the respective strip-shaped portion 48; therefore, such width can be held to a minimum. The planes of the incisions 40, 45 are preferably normal to the axis of the mouthpiece 2.

When the user lights a cigarette which embodies one half of the mouthpiece 2 shown in FIG. 3 and draws smoke through the tobacco filler and thereupon through the mouthpiece, a batch of tobacco particles is likely to become separated from the filler at the inner end of the wrapped tobacco rod section and to impinge upon the edge face 48a of the respective strip-shaped portion 48. If the batch of tobacco particles is allowed to accelerate to a substantial speed, it is likely to fall apart in response to impact against the strip-shaped portion 48 whereby at least some of the discrete tobacco particles are likely to bypass the portion 48 and to reach the smokers mouth. Therefore, the portion 48 is placed as close to the inner end of the tobacco filler as possible, i.e., the width of the mouthpiece portions 2a shown in FIG. 3 is preferably small and most preferably zero (see FIG. 5). The portions 48 resemble halves of rings of stiff paper or lightweight cardboard and are flexed inwardly (by the protuberances 47) to such an extent that their outer surfaces are of concave shape. This prevents the portions 48 from reassuming the positions they occupy prior to movement past the deforming devices 13.

FIG. 4 illustrates a slightly modified apparatus in cluding a cutting conveyor 109 and a single rotary cutting device lll having two axially spaced holders 138 for blades 141. The holders are mounted on a driven shaft Illa. All such parts of the apparatus shown in FIG. 4 which are clearly analagous to or identical with the corresponding parts of the apparatus shown in F IG. 2 are denoted by similar reference characters plus 100. The periphery of the cutting conveyor 109 is provided with two recesses 152 which are closely adjacent to the respective axial ends of this conveyor and serve to receive the outermost portions of blades 141 when the shafts Illa and l9a are set in rotary motion. The recesses T52 prevent any contact between the hard metallic material of the blades 141 and the material of the cutting conveyor 109. The planes of the two blades 141 are spaced apart from the respective axial ends of successive tubular mouthpieces 102 of double unit length so that the incisions or slits are separated from the respective axial ends by a distance which is substantially less than the diameter of the mouthpiece 102. This is clearly shown in FIG. 5. Consequently, the protuberances or heads 147 of the depression devices 113 can depress the strip-shaped portions 148 in such a way that the portions 148 are immediately adjacent to the respective end faces of the mouthpiece 102. As a rule, the length of a slit or incision 140 need not exceed as considered in the circumferential direction of the respective mouthpiece 102. The manner in which the mouthpiece 102 of FIG. 5 can be manipulated is the same as described in connection with the treatment of mouthpiece 2 in the machine of FIG. 1. The fact that the strip-shaped portions 148 are immediately adjacent to the respective axial ends of the mouthpieces 102 does not result in undue weakening of the mouthpiece cigarettes which employ such mouthpieces because the material of the uniting bands can be made sufficiently stiff to insure that there is no relative movement between the plain cigarettes and the respective halves of the corresponding mouthpieces.

An advantage of the tubular mouthpiece 102 is that its strip-shaped portions 148 are immediately adjacent to the inner ends ofthe respective tobacco fillers when the mouthpiece 102 is assembled with two coaxial wrapped tobacco rod sections. This reduces the likelihood of excessive acceleration of batches of tobacco shreds which are likely to become separated from the tobacco filler during smoking. On the other hand, the mouthpiece 2 of FIG. 3 exhibits the advantage that the material of the mouthpiece is not weakened at the very end so that a mouthpiece cigarette embodying one hald of the mouthpiece 2 is less likely to bend in the region of the respective portion 48. The greater stability of mouthpiece 2 is due to the provision of portions 2a which are outwardly adjacent to the respective strips 48.

The machine of FIG.,1 (with the structure of FIG. 2 or FIG. 4) exhibits the advantage that the tubular mouthpieces 2 or 102 can be assembled with pairs of wrapped tobacco rod sections in a manner which has been found to be highly satisfactory for the making of customary filter cigarettes, i.e., cigarettes whose mouthpieces contain plugs, wads, disks or granules of filter material. This machine can turn out very large numbers of mouthpiece cigarettes per unit of time.

Instead of providing tubular mouthpieces with stripshaped tobacco intercepting portions subsequent to the production of discrete tubular mouthpieces, it is equally within the purview of the invention to provide the strip-shaped portions prior to subdivision of a continuous mouthpiece tube into discrete mouthpieces, i.e., while the mouthpieces form a single file of mouthpieces which are integrally connected to each other end-to-end. It is preferred at this time to provide a single file of integrally connected mouthpieces with stripshaped tobacco intercepting portions while the mouthpieces travel lengthwise, rather than sideways as in the machine of FIG. 1. One such machine is illustrated in FIG. 6 and a modification thereof is shown in FIG. 7.

FIG. 6 illustrates a mouthpiece tube producing machine which can produce mouthpieces 242 similar to the mouthpieces 102 of FIG. 5. The machine of FIG. 6 comprises two bobbins 201 and 202 which respectively store supplies of convoluted webs 203, 204 consisting of strong paper of lightweight cardboard. The web 203 is being withdrawn from the bobbin 201 by a pair of advancing rolls 206, 208 of which the roll 206 is assumed to be driven and the roll 208 to be biased against the roll 206. Similar advancing rolls 207 or 209 are provided to draw the web 204 from the bobbin 202. On its way from the bobbin 201, the web 203 passes through a suitable guide means 211. Similar guide means 212 is provided for the web 2041 between the bobbin 202 and the advancing rolls 207, 209. The webs 203, 204 are respectively fed into preliminary shaping or deforming devices 2113, 214. The purpose of the shaping devices 213, 214 is to impart to the webs 203, 204 the shape of channels or tubes.

The machine of FIG. 6 further comprises a source of supply 216 here shown as a roll of convoluted strip 217 which is caused to pass through a guide means 221 and is fed lengthwise by advancing rolls 218, 219 similar to the rolls 206, 208 or 207, 209. The underside of the strip 217 is coated with an adhesive during transport along the rotary applicator of a paster 222. The leading end of the strip 217 enters a wrapping mechanism 223 which is located immediately downstream of the preliminary shaping device 214. The wrapping mechanism 223 serves to drape the strip 217 around successive increments of the web 20 1 which in turn surrounds the web 203. The adhesive-coated side of the strip 217 which enters the wrapping mechanism 223 is adjacent to the external surface of the deformed web 204.

The wrapping mechanism 223 is followed by a main shaping device 224 which completes the conversion of webs 203, 204 and strip 217 into a continuous mouthpiece tube 226. The mechanism 223 and the shaping device 2241 are adjacent to the upper stretch of an endless gamiture belt 227 which is driven by a wheel 228 and serves to transport the strip 217, and hence the tube 226, lengthwise in a direction to the left, as viewed in FIG. 6. The garniture belt 227 also serves to draw the webs 203, 204 through the respective preliminary shaping devices 213, 2141 and can be said to form part of the wrapping mechanism 223 and/or main shaping device 2241.

The continuous mouthpiece tube 226 which issues from the main shaping device 2241 is thereupon caused to advance below a plate-like sealer 229 which heats the seam formed by the overlapping marginal portions of the convoluted strip 217. The sealer 229 is followed by a cutting device 231 of the type disclosed, for example, in German patent No. 1,164,906. The cutting device 231 constitutes or comprises a rotary drum which carries on its periphery two parallel blades 232, 233 similar to the blades 411, 42 of FIG. 2. The blades 232, 233 orbit about the axis of a shaft 231a and provide spaced-apart portions of the advancing tube 226 with pairs of transversely extending slits or incisions 230, 235 similar to the slits 10, 45 shown in FIG. 3. One strip-shaped portion between a pair of slits 230, 235 is shown in FIG. 6 as at 240. That portion of the tube 226 which is being acted upon by the blades 232, 233 passes through a stationary guide 2341. This guide prevents any lateral movements and/or turning of the tube 226 during penetration of the blades 232, 233. The shaft 231a further carries a rotary deforming device 237 having a protuberance 236 which corresponds to one of the heads 47 on one of the star-shaped deforming or depressing devices 13 shown in FIG. 2. The purpose of the protuberance 236 is to depress successive strip-shaped portions 240 so that such portions assume a shape corresponding to that of the portions 148 shown in FIG. 5. During transport below the deforming device 237, the tube 226 passes through a stationary guide 238.

The deforming device 237 is followed by a severing means here shown as a rotary cutoff 239 which has a knife 2 11 serving to sever the tube 226 at regular intervals so as to subdivide the tube into finished tubular mouthpieces 242 of two times unit length. The severing action of the knife 241 is preferably such that halves of the depressed strip-shaped portions 240 are located at both axial ends of each mouthpiece 2412 (compare FIG. 5). Thus, the knife 241 severs the rod 226 midway across each successive depressed portion 240. A cutoff which can be used in the machine of FIG. 6 is disclosed, for example, in German patent No. 1,164,906. An accelerating device 24 3 (e.g., an eccentric or a rotary cam) serves to propel successive mouthpieces 242 into successive flutes of a rotary transfer conveyor 244 which forms a single row of mouthpieces 242 and transports such mouthpieces sideways onto the upper stretch of a conveyor belt 246 which can deliver mouthpieces 242 to the inserting conveyor 16 of FIG. 1.

The operation of the machine shown in FIG. 6 is as follows:

The advancing rolls 206, 208 and 207, 209 respectively draw the webs 203, 204 from the bobbins 201, 202 and advance the webs toward the preliminary shaping devices 213, 214. The shaping device 213 converts the web 203 into a tube which is fed into the shaping device 214; the latter drapes the web 204 around the web 203 to form a composite tube which thereupon enters the wrapping mechanism 223. Those portions of the webs 203, 204 which leave the second preliminary shaping device 214 exhibit a substantially circular shape. The wrapping mechanism 223 receives the adhesive-coated strip 217 which is being fed by the advancing rolls 218, 219 and is being drawn from the roll 216. The wrapping mechanism 223 comprises means for draping the strip 217 around the outer tube formed by the web 204 and the shaping continues in the main shaping device 224. When the tube 226 leaves the shaping device 224, the strip 217 constitutes a circumferentially complete tubular envelope with overlapping marginal portions which are thereupon heated by the sealer 229.

The tube 226 thereupon advances into the range of orbiting blades 232, 233 of the cutting device 23l, and the blades provide longitudinally spaced portions of the tube 226 with pairs of incisions or slits 230, 235 while the corresponding portions of the tube 226 travel through the guide 234. The strip-shaped portions 240 between successive pairs of slits 235, 230 are depressed by the orbiting protuberance 236 of the rotary deforming device 237 while the corresponding portions of the tube 226 move through the guide 238. The thus treated tube 226 moves into the range of the cutoff 239 whereby the knife 241 severs the tube at regular intervals across the depressed portions 240 to subdivide the tube into discrete tubular mouthpieces 242 of double unit length each of which is similar to the mouthpiece 102 shown in FIG. 5. The accelerating device 243 propels successive mouthpieces 242 into successive flutes of the continuously rotating transfer conveyor 244, and this conveyor delivers a single row of. mouthpieces (which move sideways) onto the upper stretch of the conveyor belt 246.

The width of each strip-shaped portion 240, as viewed in the longitudinal direction of the tube 226, need not exceed the diameter of the tube. For example, the width of each strip-shaped portion 240 may be slightly less than the diameter of the tube 226 so that, after severing by the knife 241, the width of depressed portions on the mouthpieces 242 is less than the radius of a mouthpiece.

FIG. 7 illustrates a portion of a second continuous mouthpiece tube producing machine which constitutes a modification of the machine shown in FIG. 6. All such parts of the machine shown in FIG. 7 which are clearly analagous to or identical with the corresponding parts of the machine shown in FIG. 6 are denoted by similar reference characters plus 200. The cutting device 431 of FIG. 7 comprises two pairs of parallel blades 447 and 448 so that the mouthpiece tube 426 which moves lengthwise with the garniture belt (not shown) is provided with pairs of incisions or slits 449, 451 and 452, 453. The strip-shaped portions between the pairs of slits 449, 451 and 45.2, 453 are shown at 458 and 459. The rotary deforming device 437 of FIG. 7 comprises two protuberances 454, 456 each of which depresses one of the adjacent strip-shaped portions 458, 459 while the corresponding portion of the mouthpiece tube 426 advances past the deforming device 437. The severing means or cutoff 439 comprises a rotary knife 441 which severs the mouthpiece tube 426 midway between a pair of adjoining slits 451, 452, i.e., not across one of the strip-shaped portions 458, 459. Consequently, each of the tubular mouthpieces 442 of double unit length shown in the left-hand por' tion of FIG. 7 is similar to the mouthpiece 2 of FIG. 3. The cutoff 439 further comprises customary tubular guides 457. The reference character 443 denotes a rotary eccentric accelerating device which propels successive mouthpieces 442 into successive flutes of a continuously driven rotary transfer conveyor 444. The conveyor 444 attracts the mouthpieces 442 by suction or with the assistance of suitable stationary shrouds.

(not shown) and delivers a single row of mouthpieces 442 onto the upper stretch of the conveyor belt 446 for delivery to the magazine 7 of FIG. 1 or into the magazine of an analogous mouthpiece cigarette making machine. All other parts of the machine which embodies the structure of FIG. 7 are preferably similar to or are identical with the corresponding parts of the machine shown in FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 illustrates a mouthpiece cigarette 500 which comprises a wrapped tobacco rod section 463 of unit length (e.g., a plain cigarette of unit length) and a mouthpiece 461. The mouthpiece 461 has a diameter which at least closely approximates the diameter of the wrapped tobacco rod section 463. The cigarette 500 shown in FIG. 8 corresponds to one of the cigarettes which aretransported by the conveyor belt 37 shown in FIG. 1.

An important advantage of the machine shown in FIG. 6 or 7 is that it can produce the improved tubular mouthpieces at the rate at which a conventional filter rod making machine produces filter rod sections of desired length. The machine of FIG. ll exhibits the advantage that it can process the improved mouthpieces at the rate at which a similar machine processes conventional filter mouthpieces wherein a tubular envelope contains one or more filter plugs, wads, disks and/or charges of granular filter material. The aforementioned strip-shaped portions of the improved mouthpieces constitute highly satisfactory intercepting and retaining means for tobacco particles so that such particles cannot reach the mouth of the smoker.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features which fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic and specific aspects of our contribution to the art and, therefore, such adaptations should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalence of the claims.

What is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent is set forth in the appended claims:

1. A method of producing tubular mouthpieces consisting at least in part of flexible elastic material, particularly stiff paper, comprising the steps of forming an elongated empty tube; subdividing said tube into discrete tubular mouthpieces of predetermined length; incising each mouthpiece to form therein at least one slit providing the mouthpiece with at least one relatively narrow circumferentially extending portion; and deforming said portions by moving them into the interior of the respective mouthpieces while maintaining the orientation of the moved portions with respect to the axes of the respective mouthpieces substantially unchanged so that the moved portions offer a negligible resistance to the flow of a gaseous fluid axially of and through the mouthpieces.

2. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein at least one of said incising and deforming steps precedes said subdividing step.

3. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein said incising step comprises cutting the mouthpieces to form therein slits located in planes which are at least substantially normal to the axes of the respective mouthpieces.

4. A method as defined in claim 3, wherein said deforming step comprises depressing said portions substantially radially inwardly into the respective mouthpieces.

5. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein each of said slits extends circumferentially of the respective mouthpiece along an arc of substantially less than 360 degrees, said deforming step comprising moving said portions inwardly beyond the lines connecting the ends of the respective incisions.

6. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein said incising step comprising forming each of said mouthpieces with at least two slits flanking said portion of the respective mouthpiece.

7. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein said incising and deforming steps follow said subdividing step and further comprising the step of moving the mouthpieces sideways in the course of at least one of said incising and deforming steps.

8. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein said subdividing step yields mouthpieces of double unit length and said incising step comprises providing each mouthpiece of double unit length with at least one slit adjacent to each end thereof to thus form a discrete circumferentially extending portion at each of said ends.

9. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising the step of moving said tube lengthwise in the course of said incising and deforming steps, said subdividing step following said incising and deforming steps.

10. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein said forming step comprises converting at least one web of relatively stiff elastic material into a continuous tube and moving the tube lengthwise in the course of at least one of said incising, deforming and subdividing steps.

11. A method of producing tubular mouthpieces consisting at least in part of flexible elastic material, particularly stiff paper, comprising the steps of forming an elongated tube; subdividing said tube into discrete mouthpieces of predetermined length; incising each mouthpiece to form therein at least one slit providing the mouthpiece with at least one relatively narrow circumferentially extending portion; deforming said portions by moving them into the interior of the respective mouthpieces; and moving said tube lengthwise in the course of said incising and deforming steps, said incising and deforming steps preceding said subdividing step 16 and said incising step comprising providing the moving tube with pairs of circumferentially extending slits so that each pair of slits flanks one of said portions.

12. A method as defined in claim 11, wherein said subdividing step comprises severing the tube midway across successive deformed portions.

13. A method of producing tubular mouthpieces consisting at least in part of flexible elastic material, particularly stiff paper, comprising the steps of forming an elongated tube; subdividing said tube into discrete mouthpieces of predetermined length; incising each mouthpiece to form therein at least one slit providing the mouthpiece with at least one relatively narrow circumferentially extending portion; deforming said portions by moving them into the interior of the respective mouthpieces; and moving said tube lengthwise in the course of said incising and deforming steps, said incising and deforming steps preceding said subdividing step and said incising step comprising providing longitudinally spaced portions of the tube with two pairs of circumferentially extending slits so that each such pair flanks one of said first mentioned portions, said subdividing step comprising severing the tube between the thus obtained pairs of first mentioned portions so that each mouthpiece comprises a depressed portion at each of its ends.

14. In an apparatus of the character indicated, a combination comprising conveyor means for transporting a plurality of elongated hollow tubular mouthpieces along a predetermined path; cutting means adjacent to said path and operative to make in each of said mouthpieces at least one incision adjacent to at least one end of the respective mouthpiece and to thus provide each mouthpiece with at least one relatively narrow circumferentially extending portion adjacent to the respective incision; and defonning means operative to depress said portions into the interior of the respective mouthpieces while maintaining the orientation of the depressed portions with respect to the axes of the respective mouthpieces substantially unchanged so that said depressed portions offer a negligible resistance to the flow of a gaseous fluid axially of and through the mouthpieces.

15. A combination as defined in claim 14, wherein said cutting means comprises a rotary cutting device having at least one blade arranged to orbit in a plane which is at least substantially normal to the mouthpiece located within the range of said cutting means.

16. A combination as defined in claim 14, wherein said deforming means comprises at least one protuberance and means for moving said protuberance in synchronism with said conveyor means so that said protuberance engages and deforms said portions of successive mouthpieces in said path.

17. A combination as defined in claim 16, wherein said protuberance is arranged to move along a second endless path which intersects said first mentioned path to an extent exceeding the extent of penetration of said cutting means into said mouthpieces.

18. A combination as defined in claim 14, wherein said conveyor means comprises a rotary drum having axially parallel peripheral receiving means for said mouthpieces.

19. A combination as defined in claim 14, further comprising a magazine arranged to store a supply of mouthpieces and means for delivering mouthpieces seriatim to said conveyor means.

20. A combination as defined in claim 14, wherein said cutting means comprises at least two blades each arranged to provide successive mouthpieces with discrete incisions.

21. A combination as defined in claim 14, wherein said conveyor means is arranged to transport said mouthpieces sideways.

22. A combination as defined in claim 14, wherein said conveyor means is arranged to transport said mouthpieces lengthwise.

23. A combination as defined in claim 22, further comprising means for producing a continuous tube of said mouthpieces.

24. A combination as defined in claim 23, wherein said conveyor means comprises an endless flexible conveying element forming part of said tube producing means.

25. A combination as defined in claim 23, wherein said cutting means comprises a plurality of blades and is arranged to form said incisions in said tube.

26. In an apparatus of the character indicated, a combination comprising conveyor means for transporting aplurality of elongated hollow tubular mouthpieces of double unit length along a predetermined path; cutting means adjacent to said path and operative to make in successive mouthpieces incisions in the regions of both ends of successive mouthpieces and to thus provide each mouthpiece with two relatively narrow circumferentially extending portions adjacent to the respective incisions, said cutting means comprising at least two blades each arranged to provide successive mouthpieces with discrete incisions; and deforming means operative to depress said portions into the interior of the respective mouthpieces so that each mouthpiece is provided with two depressed portions.

27. In an apparatus of the character indicated, a combination comprising means for producing a continuous tube consisting of a plurality of elongated hollow tubular mouthpieces; conveyor means for transporting said tube lengthwise along a predetermined path; cutting means adjacent to said path and operative to make in each of said mouthpieces a plurality of incisions adjacent to at least one end of the respective mouthpiece and to thus provide each mouthpiece with at least one relatively narrow circumferentially extending portion adjacent to the respective incision, said cutting means comprising two pairs of orbiting blades arranged to provide successive mouthpieces of said tube with pairs of incisions whereby each pair of incisions flanks one of said mouthpiece portions; and deforming means operative to depress said portions into the interior of the respective mouthpieces.

28. A combination as defined in claim 27, wherein said deforming means comprises two mobile protuberances arranged to depress two of said mouthpiece portions at a time.

29. A combination as defined in claim 28, further comprising severing means located past said cutting and deforming means, as considered in the direction of lengthwise movement of said tube, and having means for subdividing said tube into a succession of mouthpieces of n-times unit length wherein n is a whole number including one.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Paterzt N0. 3 817 158- 1 Dated ugust 81. 1974 l nvent fl GGNTER WAELE et a1 It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

"Claims priority, Great Britain,

August 13, 1972, 38151/72 is corrected to read Claims priority, Great Britain, August 13, 1971, 38151/71- s hed-ind 11.11811 this 29th aso'f'agzsisenm.

(SEAL) Attest;

, MCCOY M. GIBSON JR. c. MARSHALL DANN Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents "OHM PO-lQSOl'ID-GQ) i i i e E '1 v -oc 50376.p59

1 I a p.s. GOVERNMENT PRINTING limbs: I969 cage-3:4, 

1. A method of producing tubular mouthpieces consisting at least in part of flexible elastic material, particularly stiff paper, comprising the steps of forming an elongated empty tube; subdividing said tube into discrete tubular mouthpieces of predetermined length; incising each mouthpiece to form therein at least one slit providing the mouthpiece with at least one relatively narrow circumferentially extending portion; and deforming said portions by moving them into the interior of the respective mouthpieces while maintaining the orientation of the moved portions with respect to the axes of the respective mouthpieces substantially unchanged so that the moved portions offer a negligible resistance to the flow of a gaseous fluid axially of and through the mouthpieces.
 2. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein at least one of said incising and deforming steps precedes said subdividing step.
 3. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein said incising step comprises cutting the mouthpieces to form therein slits located in planes which are at least substantially normal to the axes of the respective mouthpieces.
 4. A method as defined in claim 3, wherein said deforming step comprises depressing said portions substantially radially inwardly into the respective mouthpieces.
 5. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein each of said slits extends circumferentially of the respective mouthpiece along an arc of substantially less than 360 degrees, said deforming step comprising moving said portions inwardly beyond the lines connecting the ends of the respective incisions.
 6. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein said incising step comprising forming each of said mouthpieces with at least two slits flanking said portion of the respective mouthpiece.
 7. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein said incising and deforming steps follow said subdividing step and further comprising the step of moving the mouthpieces sideways in the course of aT least one of said incising and deforming steps.
 8. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein said subdividing step yields mouthpieces of double unit length and said incising step comprises providing each mouthpiece of double unit length with at least one slit adjacent to each end thereof to thus form a discrete circumferentially extending portion at each of said ends.
 9. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising the step of moving said tube lengthwise in the course of said incising and deforming steps, said subdividing step following said incising and deforming steps.
 10. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein said forming step comprises converting at least one web of relatively stiff elastic material into a continuous tube and moving the tube lengthwise in the course of at least one of said incising, deforming and subdividing steps.
 11. A method of producing tubular mouthpieces consisting at least in part of flexible elastic material, particularly stiff paper, comprising the steps of forming an elongated tube; subdividing said tube into discrete mouthpieces of predetermined length; incising each mouthpiece to form therein at least one slit providing the mouthpiece with at least one relatively narrow circumferentially extending portion; deforming said portions by moving them into the interior of the respective mouthpieces; and moving said tube lengthwise in the course of said incising and deforming steps, said incising and deforming steps preceding said subdividing step and said incising step comprising providing the moving tube with pairs of circumferentially extending slits so that each pair of slits flanks one of said portions.
 12. A method as defined in claim 11, wherein said subdividing step comprises severing the tube midway across successive deformed portions.
 13. A method of producing tubular mouthpieces consisting at least in part of flexible elastic material, particularly stiff paper, comprising the steps of forming an elongated tube; subdividing said tube into discrete mouthpieces of predetermined length; incising each mouthpiece to form therein at least one slit providing the mouthpiece with at least one relatively narrow circumferentially extending portion; deforming said portions by moving them into the interior of the respective mouthpieces; and moving said tube lengthwise in the course of said incising and deforming steps, said incising and deforming steps preceding said subdividing step and said incising step comprising providing longitudinally spaced portions of the tube with two pairs of circumferentially extending slits so that each such pair flanks one of said first mentioned portions, said subdividing step comprising severing the tube between the thus obtained pairs of first mentioned portions so that each mouthpiece comprises a depressed portion at each of its ends.
 14. In an apparatus of the character indicated, a combination comprising conveyor means for transporting a plurality of elongated hollow tubular mouthpieces along a predetermined path; cutting means adjacent to said path and operative to make in each of said mouthpieces at least one incision adjacent to at least one end of the respective mouthpiece and to thus provide each mouthpiece with at least one relatively narrow circumferentially extending portion adjacent to the respective incision; and deforming means operative to depress said portions into the interior of the respective mouthpieces while maintaining the orientation of the depressed portions with respect to the axes of the respective mouthpieces substantially unchanged so that said depressed portions offer a negligible resistance to the flow of a gaseous fluid axially of and through the mouthpieces.
 15. A combination as defined in claim 14, wherein said cutting means comprises a rotary cutting device having at least one blade arranged to orbit in a plane which is at least substantially normal to the mouthpiece located within the range of said cutting means.
 16. A combination as defined in claim 14, wherein said deforming means comprises at least one protuberance and means for moving said protuberance in synchronism with said conveyor means so that said protuberance engages and deforms said portions of successive mouthpieces in said path.
 17. A combination as defined in claim 16, wherein said protuberance is arranged to move along a second endless path which intersects said first mentioned path to an extent exceeding the extent of penetration of said cutting means into said mouthpieces.
 18. A combination as defined in claim 14, wherein said conveyor means comprises a rotary drum having axially parallel peripheral receiving means for said mouthpieces.
 19. A combination as defined in claim 14, further comprising a magazine arranged to store a supply of mouthpieces and means for delivering mouthpieces seriatim to said conveyor means.
 20. A combination as defined in claim 14, wherein said cutting means comprises at least two blades each arranged to provide successive mouthpieces with discrete incisions.
 21. A combination as defined in claim 14, wherein said conveyor means is arranged to transport said mouthpieces sideways.
 22. A combination as defined in claim 14, wherein said conveyor means is arranged to transport said mouthpieces lengthwise.
 23. A combination as defined in claim 22, further comprising means for producing a continuous tube of said mouthpieces.
 24. A combination as defined in claim 23, wherein said conveyor means comprises an endless flexible conveying element forming part of said tube producing means.
 25. A combination as defined in claim 23, wherein said cutting means comprises a plurality of blades and is arranged to form said incisions in said tube.
 26. In an apparatus of the character indicated, a combination comprising conveyor means for transporting a plurality of elongated hollow tubular mouthpieces of double unit length along a predetermined path; cutting means adjacent to said path and operative to make in successive mouthpieces incisions in the regions of both ends of successive mouthpieces and to thus provide each mouthpiece with two relatively narrow circumferentially extending portions adjacent to the respective incisions, said cutting means comprising at least two blades each arranged to provide successive mouthpieces with discrete incisions; and deforming means operative to depress said portions into the interior of the respective mouthpieces so that each mouthpiece is provided with two depressed portions.
 27. In an apparatus of the character indicated, a combination comprising means for producing a continuous tube consisting of a plurality of elongated hollow tubular mouthpieces; conveyor means for transporting said tube lengthwise along a predetermined path; cutting means adjacent to said path and operative to make in each of said mouthpieces a plurality of incisions adjacent to at least one end of the respective mouthpiece and to thus provide each mouthpiece with at least one relatively narrow circumferentially extending portion adjacent to the respective incision, said cutting means comprising two pairs of orbiting blades arranged to provide successive mouthpieces of said tube with pairs of incisions whereby each pair of incisions flanks one of said mouthpiece portions; and deforming means operative to depress said portions into the interior of the respective mouthpieces.
 28. A combination as defined in claim 27, wherein said deforming means comprises two mobile protuberances arranged to depress two of said mouthpiece portions at a time.
 29. A combination as defined in claim 28, further comprising severing means located past said cutting and deforming means, as considered in the direction of lengthwise movement of said tube, and having means for subdividing said tube into a succession of mouthpieces of n-times unit length wherein n is a whole number including one. 